Girl drops her eyes, telling him a secret she shouldn't really tell.

GIRL: "The Karasim hold Vashntni's daughter hostage. We had no choice ..." "The Karasim hold Vashntni's daughter hostage. We had no choice ..."

Then, late one night, a visitor ...

Elric wearily pores over old scrolls in the library. Then through the window flies the black raven (Sepiriz) which perches on one of the old books and looks at him with wise, ancient eyes.

ELRIC: "The raven! It seems I recognize you ... What book would you have me read?" "The raven! It seems I recognize you ... What book would you have me read?"

Elric has discovered a spell in one of the old books. A breakthrough!

ELRIC (thinks): (thinks): "Here's a means of creating a portal to return me home. If only I can remember all I learned in Melnibone, there could be a way. 'Tis dangerous magic ..." "Here's a means of creating a portal to return me home. If only I can remember all I learned in Melnibone, there could be a way. 'Tis dangerous magic ..."

Referring to the scroll, Elric begins to make strange passes in the air and speaks in "runic"...

He is blown back by a blast which effectively blows black light into the chamber. You can see from his face that the spell has gone wrong.

ELRIC: "NO! "NO! The spell failed! This is disaster!" The spell failed! This is disaster!"

A portal had been created-now it dragged the young albino into horrible darkness...

Elric is dragged, screaming, into a black hole. He falls backwards, deeper and deeper into darkness...

... to arrive not in Melnibone, but a chill landscape, grim and near-lightless...

Elric has landed on a black featureless plain. A little pale light comes down from a tiny moon high overhead. There are some distant stars, but unfamiliar.

ELRIC: "Those stars! They are like no constellations I've ever seen. This place-what have I done? Where am I?" "Those stars! They are like no constellations I've ever seen. This place-what have I done? Where am I?"

VOICE ( (from outside the frame): "Welcome, young Silverskin. Welcome to limbo-the place some call 'The Middle March'-the lands between the worlds." "Welcome, young Silverskin. Welcome to limbo-the place some call 'The Middle March'-the lands between the worlds."

Elric turns-and there stands the one we know as Arioch, who here calls himself The Unknown. His own light emanates from him. He is a golden, gorgeous youth. A dandy in strange, alien clothes. At his hip is a scabbarded black sword and in his right hand is a golden staff. He himself is of stunning appearance. He smiles a little sardonically.

ARIOCH: "Have you forgotten who I am, Silverskin?" "Have you forgotten who I am, Silverskin?"

ELRIC: "We've never met before!" "We've never met before!"

ARIOCH: "Oh, we've met before and we'll meet again, for I am your supernatural mentor. Your interests and mine are the same. And shall be to the end of time ..." "Oh, we've met before and we'll meet again, for I am your supernatural mentor. Your interests and mine are the same. And shall be to the end of time ..."

ELRIC: "I've never seen you before, sir!" "I've never seen you before, sir!"

ARIOCH: "Perhaps you don't recognize me. I'll forgive your poor manners. After all, you are not very old." "Perhaps you don't recognize me. I'll forgive your poor manners. After all, you are not very old."

Elric recovers himself and makes a short bow to the newcomer.

ELRIC: "Excuse me, my lord. Perhaps my memory has been affected by my fall ..." "Excuse me, my lord. Perhaps my memory has been affected by my fall ..."

ARIOCH: "I can tell I'm unwelcome. Call for me should you need my help. Farewell." "I can tell I'm unwelcome. Call for me should you need my help. Farewell."

And Arioch vanishes in a golden flash, leaving nothing but the dark, bleak, moonlit landscape.

ELRIC: "I suspect that creature. But I need a guide if I'm to return to Melnibone. What's that slithering, unwholesome sound?" "I suspect that creature. But I need a guide if I'm to return to Melnibone. What's that slithering, unwholesome sound?"

He whirls at a sound behind him and catches a glimpse of a Night Worm. The Night Worms are huge, blind white worms. They crawl at the edge of the darkness, scenting for Elric's blood. They have vampire mouth-parts.

Another voice whispers out of the darkness: FENKI: "Heh, heh, heh-the Night Worms are sniffing for your blood, little Silverskin...They hunger so for such sweet, fresh sustenance ..." "Heh, heh, heh-the Night Worms are sniffing for your blood, little Silverskin...They hunger so for such sweet, fresh sustenance ..."

ELRIC: "Who's that?" "Who's that?"

Fenki is sitting on a high rock looking down at Elric. The Night Worms slither in closer.

FENKI: "Only old Fenki, master. Just another poor lost soul like yourself...exiled to the Middle March through his own bad sorcery ..." "Only old Fenki, master. Just another poor lost soul like yourself...exiled to the Middle March through his own bad sorcery ..."

ELRIC: "Come down, sir, and declare yourself!" "Come down, sir, and declare yourself!"

FENKI: "It would be rude to interrupt the Night Worms when they feast on your tasty blood ..." "It would be rude to interrupt the Night Worms when they feast on your tasty blood ..."

Elric has no weapon, no means of defending himself. The worms slither in closer. He tries to scramble for the rocks and slips. Fenki capers above, enjoying Elric's predicament. Elric kicks futilely at the Night Worms.

ELRIC: "Filthy creatures ... "Filthy creatures ... Aarkkk!" Aarkkk!"

FENKI: "Hee, hee! You must learn to scramble faster than that, Silverskin!" "Hee, hee! You must learn to scramble faster than that, Silverskin!"

There comes a blast from out of the darkness which sends Fenki hopping away in terror.

FENKI: "EekJ "EekJ No offense, my lord! Forgive me ..." No offense, my lord! Forgive me ..."

Arioch has reappeared. He is grinning at Fenki's discomfort and also at Elric's disgust. He throws Elric a black sword (it's Stormbringer).

ARIOCH: "Here, take this blade. See if you can use it!" "Here, take this blade. See if you can use it!"

Then the Night Worms have closed in on Elric and he is fighting for his life.

ELRIC: "This sword! It seems to lend me strength!" "This sword! It seems to lend me strength!" Slicing and stabbing around him Slicing and stabbing around him.

Elric becomes demonic as he fights the Night Worms. Scores of them attack him, but he succeeds in fighting them off while Arioch, smiling with satisfaction, watches him beat them off. Fenki sits on his own bit of rock nearby, scared both of Arioch and Elric's sword.

ARIOCH: "He fights well, eh, Master Fenki?" "He fights well, eh, Master Fenki?"

FENKI: "Oh, aye, master-very well. But who could not, with that damned blade?" "Oh, aye, master-very well. But who could not, with that damned blade?"

Arioch claps his hand on Fenki's shoulder.

ARIOCH: "Oh, come now, Master Fenki. You don't give the lad enough credit..." "Oh, come now, Master Fenki. You don't give the lad enough credit..."

FENKI (shuddering): (shuddering): "Whatever you say, my lord." "Whatever you say, my lord."

Elric rests panting as the remaining Night Worms slither away to safety. He looks down at the bloody sword in his hands. He is somewhat aghast at the havoc he has been able to cause.

ELRIC: "How-? How could I have killed so many?" "How-? How could I have killed so many?"

Arioch jumps down from the rock and approaches him.

ARIOCH: "See. You're more skilled than you thought, Master Silverskin, eh?" "See. You're more skilled than you thought, Master Silverskin, eh?"

In revulsion, Elric flings the sword down.

ELRIC: "No! Some foul sorcery has aided me. That blade's enchanted!" "No! Some foul sorcery has aided me. That blade's enchanted!"

ARIOCH: "Possibly. But you owe it your life, do you not?" "Possibly. But you owe it your life, do you not?"

ELRIC: "I thank you for your aid, sir. I fear that weapon. It seems alive..." "I thank you for your aid, sir. I fear that weapon. It seems alive..."

Arioch stoops and picks up the sword.

ARIOCH: "I must admit, it has its sentient moments. Do you still resist my help?" "I must admit, it has its sentient moments. Do you still resist my help?"

Elric remains highly suspicious of Arioch.

ELRIC: "I suspect there are conditions to that help, my lord. Where is this place and how did you know when to expect me?" "I suspect there are conditions to that help, my lord. Where is this place and how did you know when to expect me?"

Arioch shrugs and spreads his hands, making a pantomime of his innocence. He sheathes the Black Sword in his own scabbard.

ARIOCH: "Merely a traveler between the worlds, like yourself, Sir Silverskin. Perhaps I'm a little more familiar with these marches. I could help you save your father and return to Melnibone...Meanwhile ... "Merely a traveler between the worlds, like yourself, Sir Silverskin. Perhaps I'm a little more familiar with these marches. I could help you save your father and return to Melnibone...Meanwhile ...

He makes a passage in the air and we see a shadowy table and chairs appear.

ARIOCH: "... let's eat! You must be tired of Myyrrhn's simple fare and long for the luxury of the life you left behind." "... let's eat! You must be tired of Myyrrhn's simple fare and long for the luxury of the life you left behind."

Arioch has conjured a table and two chairs. While Fenki looks on from a safe perch, Arioch produces delicious food for the table, a jug of wine. Fenki is hungry. As Arioch eats, he throws the creature scraps.

Elric is hungry and sets to. But he is still deeply suspicious.

ELRIC: "You are a sorcerer, that's plain. Can you get me back to my father in Melnibone?" "You are a sorcerer, that's plain. Can you get me back to my father in Melnibone?"

ARIOCH: "Regrettably, your father is not in Melnibone. For the past two years he has been crossing the world to its very edge!" "Regrettably, your father is not in Melnibone. For the past two years he has been crossing the world to its very edge!"

Arioch makes a passage in the air to show a scene of Elric's father's expedition. He heads a weary, battered army on bony horses in ragged armour.

ARIOCH: "Naturally he saw the Karasim steal you. And it is to the Abyss of Karasim that he ventured. It has been a long, hard journey with many dangers on the way ..." "Naturally he saw the Karasim steal you. And it is to the Abyss of Karasim that he ventured. It has been a long, hard journey with many dangers on the way ..."

ELRIC (half-risingfrom the table): (half-risingfrom the table): "Then I must go to his aid! I had no idea so many lives were at risk!" "Then I must go to his aid! I had no idea so many lives were at risk!"

ARIOCH (lifts his goblet in a toast): (lifts his goblet in a toast): "Sit down, young man. We are in limbo. Time has stopped here. But you must make up your mind. Would you return home-or aid your father? Your uncle Ederic sits on his throne, ruling in his stead. If you were in Melnibone now, I could help you seize that power back ..." "Sit down, young man. We are in limbo. Time has stopped here. But you must make up your mind. Would you return home-or aid your father? Your uncle Ederic sits on his throne, ruling in his stead. If you were in Melnibone now, I could help you seize that power back ..."

ELRIC (puzzled (puzzled): "Why should I do that? I'm sure my uncle rules well in my father's absence ..."

Arioch spirits them up from the ground to a rocky ledge where he throws scraps of food down to the Night Worms while Fenki hovers in fear below him.

ARIOCH (amused (amused) "Ah, such innocence! Know you not that your uncle aided the Karasim raid just so that you could be captured, knowing your father would mount an expedition to find you?"

ELRIC (angry): (angry): "Why would my uncle plot such infamy?" "Why would my uncle plot such infamy?"

ARIOCH: "He believes with me that Melnibone will only maintain her power through strong magic and force of arms." "He believes with me that Melnibone will only maintain her power through strong magic and force of arms."

ELRIC: "My father sees such thinking as the ruin of all we stand for! If you share Ederic's opinion, why not aid "My father sees such thinking as the ruin of all we stand for! If you share Ederic's opinion, why not aid him?" him?"

ARIOCH: "Because I cultivate the larger picture." "Because I cultivate the larger picture."

ELRIC (angry): (angry): "What mean you by that?" "What mean you by that?"

ARIOCH: "A few thousand years, and you'll learn my purpose. Never fear ..." "A few thousand years, and you'll learn my purpose. Never fear ..."

Elric reaches towards Arioch who backs away with a smile.

ELRIC: "Take me to my father! I'll thwart you yet, Sir Demon!" "Take me to my father! I'll thwart you yet, Sir Demon!"

Arioch is amused and still dandified, unhurried. He smiles down at the sniveling Fenki.

ARIOCH: "Well, Fenki? Would you lead our young Silverskin out of here to join his father in defeat?" "Well, Fenki? Would you lead our young Silverskin out of here to join his father in defeat?"

FENKI ( (grins in anticipation): "Oh, gladly, master. Gladly!" "Oh, gladly, master. Gladly!"

Arioch puts his hand on Elric's shoulder. The young albino scowls at him.

ARIOCH: "Then so be it!" "Then so be it!"

ELRIC: "What cunning is this? Why would you help me?" "What cunning is this? Why would you help me?" Arioch smiles insouciantly Arioch smiles insouciantly.

ARIOCH: "Why? Because you asked! But now I grow tired of your callow rudeness. I'll leave you in Master Fenki's good hands ..." "Why? Because you asked! But now I grow tired of your callow rudeness. I'll leave you in Master Fenki's good hands ..."

Again Arioch vanishes.

FENKI: "Come, then, young master, let's be on our way before the Night Worms sense you're weaponless again..." "Come, then, young master, let's be on our way before the Night Worms sense you're weaponless again..."

Fenki leads Elric across a glinting peat bog from which sinister mist rises and in which sinister shapes shift and shamble ...

And then, suddenly, the sun begins to rise over the bog until Elric sees figures in the distance. Fenki points and grins. The ruined, weary army of King Feneric can be seen trailing its way over the wasteland.

FENKI: "There. You are back in your own world. And there's your wretched father. Join him in his misery!" "There. You are back in your own world. And there's your wretched father. Join him in his misery!"

Elric begins to run towards the distant warriors.

ELRIC: "FATHER!" "FATHER!"